‘Spurs on brink of historic season’ – Three key stats from Tottenham 2-0 Arsenal

Add as preferred source on Google

146 – Arsenal’s afternoon crumbles in three-minute chaos

A blistering spell of two goals in the space of 146 second-half seconds ensured that Tottenham will finish above their North London rivals in the table for the first time since 1995.

Up until the 55 minute mark it had been a relatively cagey affair in the last ever meeting between the two at White Hart Lane, but Dele Alli’s scrappy effort began a remarkable three-minute period.

In the next Tottenham attack after Alli’s effort, Harry Kane found himself in space inside the area and attempted to dribble past Gabriel only to be brought down and awarded a soft spot-kick.

Kane made no mistake from 12-yards and, after a dogged defensive performance from the visitors to keep Spurs at bay for so long, all hope of getting anything from the game had gone out of the window.

Arsene Wenger’s side simply lost their focus and allowed the game to slip away from them; for the opener, nobody challenged Alli’s burst into the area – or Christian Eriksen’s mazy dribble – and Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain could arguably have done better on the line when he just wildly swung a leg.

The visitors just switched off at the wrong time; in the first half, Kane and Alli combined completed less passes (11) than Hugo Lloris (15) did due to stoic Arsenal defending, but they lost their focus.

With both Manchester sides dropping points it was a chance for the Gunners to make a statement in their top four ambitions, but too many Arsenal players simply didn’t turn up for the fight on Sunday.